1. Field of the Technology
The present technology relates to a management system for power storage equipment which stores power, or a management system for power storage equipment provided together with power generation equipment. In particular, the present technology relates to a system enabling to expand user's merits so as to promote introduction of power storage equipment by establishing such a system that a user who installs power storage equipment is provided with not only economical values obtained by storing power in the power storage equipment and consuming it, but also social status and values for the environmental contribution.
The present technology also relates to a power storage equipment management method, a power storage equipment management program, and a management server constituting the power storage equipment management system.
2. Description of Related Art
Demands for power are increasing. In homes, various electric appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, cookers, washing machines and air conditioners, televisions, audio-visual equipment, personal computers, and game consoles are widely used. In offices such as companies and various organizations, business machines such as personal computers, copy machines, facsimiles and printers, and air-conditioners are provided. Further, in stores, lighting fixtures and exhibits are provided, and even in neighboring facilities and communities, various electronic apparatuses and electric apparatuses are installed. Therefore, the amount of power consumption is growing each year. Further, the load factor which is a ratio between the amount of power consumption at the peak time and the average amount of power consumption is getting worse each year. The worsening in the load factor requires power companies to maintain power generation equipment for coping with the peak power demand, which causes a problem that they cannot operate the power generation equipment efficiently. Further, as power generation equipment for coping with the load change, thermal power generation, in which activation and shutdown are performed easily, is mainly used. Therefore, it is not preferable for the environment since the discharge amount of CO2 is large in comparison with the average of the whole powers. In view of these problems, various studies and efforts are under way in order to level the load.
Further, with a rise in environmental consciousness in recent years, it is promoted to introduce power generation equipment such as power generation systems using natural energy and fuel cells, causing less environmental load, in worldwide. Currently, introduction of such power generation equipment is promoted with supports, partially or as a whole, by support measures implemented with subsidies of respective countries for example. With a widespread of such power generation equipment, it is considered that power generation equipment provided together with power storage equipment will be widely used from now.
JP-A 2002-233053 discloses a system, having power storage equipment, in which power is purchased when the price is low and is sold when the price is high. The system disclosed in JP-A 2002-233053 includes: a purchase decision making device for determining the optimum purchase amount and purchase timing of power in accordance with predetermined purchase rules based on price fluctuation information of the power price; a power storage device for storing purchased power; a sell decision making device for determining the optimum selling amount and selling timing of the stored power in accordance with predetermined selling rules based on the price fluctuation information of the power price; and an electronic settlement device with which transfer of money in association with the purchase and selling of power is performed through electronic settlement.
JP-A 2001-306839 discloses a transaction method and a transaction system for a carbon dioxide emission right. In JP-A 2001-306839, when the actual discharge amount of carbon dioxide is greater than the carbon dioxide emission right that an entity has obtained, a center transmits an instruction to the entity to obtain the carbon dioxide emission right corresponding to the excess. On the other hand, when another entity carries out photovoltaic power generation, the center gives, to the entity, the carbon dioxide emission right corresponding to the amount of the power generation. Transaction between the both carbon dioxide emission rights are performed on the Internet, and the selling/purchase price of the carbon dioxide emission right may be determined by the center or by a floating rate system.
JP-A 2002-233053 discloses a system in which midnight power, the price of which is relatively low, is stored, and is sold in the daytime when the price is relatively high so as to gain benefit. However, it is not a system giving values by evaluating a value for the environmental contribution in addition to an economical value obtained by storing power in power storage equipment and consuming the power. Further, JP-A 2001-306839 discloses an invention relating to a transaction method for a carbon dioxide emission right, in which a carbon dioxide emission right by the photovoltaic power generation is traded. This is not a system including power storage equipment and providing values by evaluating environmental contribution.
In general, power storage equipment for storing power is not widely used currently due to the high installment cost and maintenance cost. Although there is a problem that the load factor worsens as described above, no system exists for grasping and evaluating situations about values of power usage patterns in which power storage equipment and power generation equipment affect the improvement of the load factor. Further, it is impossible to actually classify the types of power. Therefore, currently, only differences are made in power prices by power menus set depending on time zones such as a midnight power menu. In such a situation, an owner of power storage equipment only acquires economical benefit from the difference between the price of night time power and the price of daytime power, set by a power purchase menu. Consequently, the fact that sufficient economical benefit cannot be gained in many cases is considered as one reason of hampering widespread of power storage equipment.
Further, although power generation equipment placing small environmental load may be widespread further in the future, the power generation cost including the introduction cost has not reached the same level as the power generation cost of the electric power company performing power generation with large-scale power generation equipment. In fact, the difference in cost is currently covered by supports from the county or municipalities, a price menu of advantageous conditions provided by an electric power company, or a burden borne by a person who has high environmental consciousness.
In particular, there is no means to evaluate environmental contribution by a user, having small-scale power storage equipment such as one for a household use, who stores midnight power and uses it in the daytime so as to level the load whereby carbon dioxide generated when generating power can be reduced, or to evaluate environmental contribution by self-consuming power generated by small-scale power generation equipment so as to contribute to the load leveling of a large-scale power generation plant. Further, since the contribution is small in the absolute amount when taken individually, there is no system for collecting them on which a third party who wants to obtain the values depends. Therefore, it is impossible to distribute the values. For example, it is impossible to make a transaction (selling) of the values like carbon dioxide emission right.
On the other hand, a user has a demand to collect the investment required for installment as early as possible, in addition to environmental contribution. Accordingly, in order to expand use, in a full scale, of a power storage system for reserving power, and further a power storage system combined with a power generation system causing small environmental load, such a demand of a user must be met.